San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-08-04
BROOKLYN LETTER.


BROOKLYN, July 81, 1887.
Among the most wonderful Of the ex-
periments In Hypnotic moralization" is
that of the perverse Simkins boy, who
was magnetized by a young practitioner
In the ne W science In Manchester, Eng,
and after a sleep OF few hours awoke
an ornament to society. He had pre-
yiously been distinguished for robbing
the neighbOrs' hen rOOsts, stealing pas
try from bakers counters, and taking
long drives In wagons that didn't belong
TO him. From his very birth he had
steadily done those things which he
ought not to do, and at the age Of thir-
teen babe fair to become the most hard
ened Of reprobstes. But one dose OF
hypnotism cured him. Mothers Of
naughty boys may take heart. III one
case of moral innOculatiOn can be proved
and there are certainly many attested,
the evolution of the human family as
sumes a more hopeful aspect. 1t will
certainly not be 30 slow as 1t has been
heretofore.
The statement has been freely made
for some time that the brilliant gradu.
ating essays Of our public schools, the
salutatories, the valedictories. and all
the rest, are practically written by the
teachers of composition, the pupils
themselves having very little to do with
them. A theme is given, and the girl or
boy struggle for a week or two. Then
the stuff 10 presented to the English
teacher, who analy yes, asks questions,
grasses and substitutes, all the time en-
deavoring to persuade the victim that
he or she Is doing the work. Then fol-
To- oil
Of delighted parents and friends, the
white dresses, blue ribbons, and ap-
plause. Your correspondent inquired Of
we'll known teacher of composition not
long ago ifsuch reports were true, and she
reluctantly admitted that they were.
''The fact is," she said, THAT not one
pupil in fifty has any aptitude with the
pen, though they may be creditable
scholars in general or special studies.
For some reason this truth lie utterly ig-
nored by school boards, and so boys and
girls who cannot express themselves in
correct, to say nothing of elegant Eng
lish, in letters to friends, and claim as
the result OF their own study the know
ledge of people, CrentZ and philosophers
which has taken years of hard systematic
labor to acquire. will give you case
10 point. The most attractive girl of your
last graduating class are chosen at the
vale dictarlan. She came to me frankly
and said, 81 cannot do this work. You
know it, and the principal knows it. |
think | could read the paper decently If
some one else could prepare it," This
is true and | tried the matter be-
fore the authority, but all to
no purpose. The poor girl was obliged
to go to work and build up structure
for me TO pull to pieces. took the I'M
rhetorical, ungrsmatical and utterly
senseless stuff to the principal. "Of
course you'll have to fix 1t up" he said.
that's what you're here for" At last
the girl, who was really honest. declared
she would not claim as her own an essay
that did not belong to her, and wrote a
note to the principal begging to be ex-
cused, This Is an exact transcript OF the
document: DEAR LEo-Miss b. has
wrote the entire valledictory for me and
l am not wiling to say IL is mine. Will
you pleas excuse me?' The poor child
handed me the note to read, and let 1t
go, thinking it would be the best argu-
ment for honest dealing that could
be furnished-but she was not excused.
The essay was read, praised and pub
lished" In the name OF all thar Is re-
spectacle, why do school boards lend
themselves to such bare-faoed dishOn-
esty. Friends, and fellOw-citiZens. such
a course is degrading, and the system
that faces it must be rotten to the very
core.
The following letter which will GER
tainly be OF interest to mothers, has
just reached me. Your article about
second summers" is too true as my ex-
perience will prove, having lost three
beautiful children at this critical period,
and for no other reason believe than
the injudicious use OF milk and stsrohy
food. Why milk should sometimes be
poison to teething babies, | do not
know, but the fact remains. Don't fail
to impress upon mothers the necessity
OF regular times for feeding. Many
babies are killed by irregularity as well
as Improper food"
ELEANOR KIRK.